Stake construction for vehicles



W. F. NORTON. STAKE CONSTRUCTION FOR VEHICLES. APPLICATION FILED HOV-10} 1919.

Patented Nov. 16, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- I N VE TOR. W/fl/am F/Vor/an A TTORNE YJY W. F. NORTON. STAKE CONSTRUCTION FOR VEHICLES. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 10, 1919.

1 ,358, 978, Patented Nov. 16, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- IN V EN TOR.

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A TTORNE YJ:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STAKE CONSTRUCTION FOR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 16, 1920.

Application filed November 10, 1919. Serial No. 336,933.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM F. NORTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Stake Construction for Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to vehicle bodies having stakes at the sides to retain the load, and its object is to provide a staked struc ture which is convertible into a high frame over which a cover may be spread to protect the load. Y

The object stated is attained by means of a novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed, and in order that the same may be better understood reference is had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a vehicle body showing the stakes at one side thereof;

Fig. 2 is a cross section of the vehicle body showing the stakes converted into a cover-supporting frame;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross section on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is an elevation of a fragment of one of the stakes detached, and

Fig. 6 is a vertical section of the stake.

Referring specifically to the drawings, 10 denotes the floor of the truck body, or

the body of any other vehicle employed for hauling merchandise and other loads. At the sides of the body are the stakes which arethe subject matter of the present application for patent. and as these stakes are all alike, a description of one suffices for all.

The stake is an upright post 11 which is hollow to form a pocket 12 for certain parts to be presently described. The stake is firmly secured to the floor 10 in upright position in any suitable manner which is immaterial to the present invention. The pocket opens through the inner face of the post, and for a short distance from the bot-- tom of the post, the pocket is closed as shown at 13. i

In the pocket 12 of the post 11 is slidably seated an extension rail 14, the same being locked in the pocket by a pin 15 carried by a spring strip 16 fastened to the side of the post, the latter and the rail having apertures through which the pin is adapted to be inserted. Several apertures are provided so that the rail may be extended more or less from the top of the post to form a continuation thereof.

To the top of the rail 14 is hinged, as shown at 17 a bar 18 which normally hangs down alongside the rail against the inner face thereof.

When the stakes 11 are to be converted into a high frame, the rails 14 will he slid upwardly to project more or less from the top of the stakes, as shown in Fig. 2, and locked in this position by the pins 15. The bars 18 will also be swung outwardly until those on one side meet the ones on the other slde of the vehicle body in gable fashion as shown in Fig. 2. The meeting ends of the bars will be shaped to interlock, as shown at 19 in Fig. 2, to prevent downward displacement. A cover supporting frame is now also had, the cover being placed over the frame and secured in any suitable manner.

To assist in supportin the cover, the bars 18 are provided with the cross braces on opposite sides of the meeting edges thereof. These braces consist of a pair of bars 20 and 21 respectively carried by each bar 18, and adapted to be unfolded to extend therefrom in a continuous line and thus connect adjacent bars when the latter are unfolded as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 to support a cover. The brace bars 20 and 21 are pivotally connected at one end, as shown at 22, and the bar 20 is pivoted to the bar 18 as shown at 23. When the extensionfeature is not employed, the bars 20 and 21 are foldable one on the other to seat against the outer face of the bar 14 as shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 6.

When the parts 20, 21 and 18 are folded, they seat in the pocket 12 with the rail 14, and an ordinary stake is now had. The closed portion 13 of the pocket holds the extensible parts withinthe pocket, and before said parts can be unfolded the rail 14 carrying the same must be slid upwardly sufiiciently to bring the parts clear of the top of the wall 13.

I claim:

1. The combination with a wagon body; of stakes along the sides thereof, extension rails carried by the stakes. bars-pivoted to the upper ends of the rails and. adjustable to extend transversely of the Wagon body, the bars of one side meeting the bars of the other side to form a cover support; and brace bars carried by said bars and adjustable to extend therebetween, the first mentioned bar being foldable to seat alongside the rails, and the brace bars being foldable to seat alongside the first mentioned bars.

2. The combination With a agon body; of stakes along the sides thereof, extension rails carried by the stakes, bars pivoted to theu'pper ends of the rails and adjustable to extend transversely of the Wagon body, the 7 bars of one side meeting the bars of the other side to form a cover support, and brace bars carried by said bars and adjustable to extend therebetween, the first mentioned bar being foldable to seat alongside the rails, and the brace bars being foldable to seat alongside the first mentioned bars, and the stakes having pockets to seat the rails and the folded bars.

In testimony whereof I ahix my'si nature.

WILLIAM F. NOR ON. 

